Lena Sue "Susie" McCown Crabtree of Del Norte, Colo., formerly of Allenspark, Colo., passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones on Oct. 30, 2022, at the age of 67, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Loved and respected by all who knew her, Susie was a wise woman and a true mountain woman who had many talents. She enjoyed hiking, mountain biking, winter camping and telemark skiing.

She was a dedicated and loving wife, mother and grandmother, an artist, a musician, a gardener, an animal lover and caretaker, a seamstress and an avid reader with an excellent knowledge of history.

Susie was a self-taught watercolor artist who was inspired by the richly diverse Rocky Mountains where she also studied and gathered wild medicinal plants.

Her passion for gardening was immense and she successfully grew a high-altitude organic garden employing many techniques she learned along the way including natural composting and fertilizing, permaculture and regenerative soil practices.

She believed in sharing the knowledge she learned and sharing the abundance with friends and neighbors. She believed in taking care of the Earth for future generations.

Susie was preceded in death by her parents Claude and Corrine McCown and her brother Travis McCown. She is survived by her husband John Mueller of Del Norte, Colo., her daughter Guinevere Crabtree of Estes Park, Colo., her grandson Alexander Henderson of Windsor, Colo., and her brother and sister-in-law Mike and Debbie McCown of Whitehouse, Texas, and nephew Nicholas McCown of Whitehouse Texas.

Private services will be held Dec. 2, 2022. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: La Puente Home Alamosa, CO,  lapuentehome.org or URGAS Conour Animal Shelter Monte Vista, CO, urgasconouranimalshelter.org. To express condolences to the family, please visit wwww.rogersfunerals.com. Rogers Family Mortuary in Monte Vista is in care of the arrangements.